9-Step Social Media Plan For Marketers and Business Owners

Integrated Online Marketing Plan

Whether your brand is just getting started with online marketing or re-aligning for the new year, the following foundation is essential before incorporating social media into a comprehensive and complete online marketing plan.

Inescapable. Last year social media’s impact on B2B and B2C communication, advertising, and information gathering was irrefutably inescapable.

According to Techcrunch “there are now more devices connected to the Internet then there are people on earth.”

This explosion of mobile technology has enabled the assimilation of social media into our everyday lives. Consumers are watching TV with their Droids, iPhones, and iPads. As a result, they are online more often, and for longer amounts of time.As a brand looking to connect with these consumers, your evolution into online marketing has become, dare we say it again…inescapable.

It is time to enter the social media arena and join your target market on the web. They are already there sharing experiences with others about brands, products, and services, so why not join the conversation?

WEBSITE- A website is vital to ANY online marketing program. It is ground control to all other elements and it should be designed to easily move those visitors further into the sales funnel once they arrive. Moreover, make sure that it is mobile friendly. Morgan Stanley analysts predict that by 2014 most of the traffic to your website will come from mobile devices.

BLOG /CONTENT MARKETING-Your website should include a blog with a consistent flow of relevant and informative posts. This content will serve as the backbone to your social media, keep your brand findable with search engines, help initiate profitable consumer action, and enhance your position as an industry leader.

EMAIL MARKETING- Email marketing is still the King of ROI and is essential in both B2C and B2B marketing nowadays. Since smartphones and tablet sales have surpassed PCs, your email has to be mobile friendly. The layout must be scalable and responsive, meaning that they must be designed and coded to successfully open on mobile devices of various sizes, as well as laptops and desktop computers. To dive deeper into email marketing read Amir Chitayat’s “Your 2013 Email Marketing Checklist” and –you guessed it– it includes a downloadable email marketing checklist.

9-Step Process for Social Media Success

So where does social media fit into all of this Social media is the enabler of the internet. Its role is to magnify your existing online presence and amplify ALL of your other branding and marketing efforts. It plays a key role in delivering qualified traffic to the top of the online sales funnel.

Social media allows brands and consumers the rare opportunity to join online conversations, where they can ask and answer questions, offer product guidance and ultimately forge deeper customer-brand relationships. An ongoing process that is continually building upon itself.

Begin by reviewing your business objectives and goals for using social media. Then use the steps below to incorporate social media into your marketing plan and most importantly, work your plan.

Choose Your Channel- This is the entry point for your brand. Identify the 3 best social channels to meet your business objectives and create an account on each. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest and Google+ are the main channels to consider.

Brand Your Profile- It is essential that you present a unified branded appearance across all social media profiles. Use your company logo and branding from your website, and take the time to properly create a professional profile tailored to each social channel requirements.

Build a Baseline by Listening- Build your brand’s voice by listening to what your market is saying, discover their pain points and establish a baseline for what they are interested in. For more information read “Listen Up! It Is The Key To Social Media Success” and download our Social Listening checklist.

Keep Your Competitors Close- Locate the competition and observe how they use social media. Note their successes and failures, and apply that to your social media strategy.

Connect With the Connectors- Connect with influencers, industry players and relevant news sources. Follow the social activity of current clients, suppliers and affiliates.

Calendar Your Content- Develop a content strategy and editorial calendar. The more you recommend, share and create content, the more you influence others online.

Track and Measure- Maintain an analytics spreadsheet that benchmarks the growth and activity of each social channel.

Report, Review and Refresh- Report and analyze monthly reach, activity and engagement. Compare results with objectives and adjust as needed.

Stand Out From The Herd- Let OpenMoves know about your social media successes by connecting with us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest and Google+ and earn the chance to be featured in our next case study.Interested in taking your online marketing to the next level?Click here to email us or give us a call at: 631-546-7779. Our team of experienced and dedicated online marketers and technologists are always here to help you.